The Paradigm
(translated by A.K.Ramanujan. Poem courtesy Minstrels)
The Paradigm
We here and that man, this man,
and that other in-between,
and that woman, this woman,
and that other, whoever,
those people, and these,
and these others in-between,
this things, that thing,
and this other in-between, whichever,
all things dying, these things,
those things, those others in-between,
good things, bad things,
things that were, that will be,
being all of them,
he stands there.
funny..i was thinking about posting a ramanujan poem myself that i had recently reread - ‘if one wants that bird’. but this is a translation.
i remember reading about ‘nammalwar’ in school in a telugu text.. but lessons - the way they’re forced-taught,from school can turn you off someone forever..glad you reintroduced me to nammalwar here. now that the pressures have receded over the years.. i should start quenching the nagging curiosity i had always felt about the alwars.. this poem has definitely whetted my appetite.
Comment by kuffir — August 12, 2006 @ 6:44 pm
Beautiful as ever. I’m sure reading it in Tamil will be utter bliss! Alwars renditions are a literature class apart. Especially Andal’s.
Comment by Kishore — August 13, 2006 @ 4:18 pm